Emily vs Lena
Emily and Lenacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #5 and Lena #288 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #6 and Lena #266 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Emily was ranked #7 and Lena #207 among girls in Scotland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #44 and Lena #288 among girls in England and Wales.
Norway · Girls
In 2025, Emily was ranked #71 and Lena #294 among girls in Norway.
Emily and Lena over time
Emily and Lena appear together in 4 published lists, across 161 years of shared records. Emily held the stronger position in more years in 4 of them, Lena in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 2 of the lists they share.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- One moved ahead of the other
In 2002, Emily moved ahead of Lena in Norway · Girls — #149 and #105 the year before became #142 and #147.
- Longest-running competitions
Emily and Lena were both ranked in England and Wales · Girls for 30 years, from 1996 to 2025, ending at #44 and #288.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Northern Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Emily #1 in 2013, Lena #131 in 2012.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls62 shared years, 1964–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 62 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2011, Lena #71 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #6, Lena #266.
Norway · Girls49 shared years, 1969–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 25 of those years, Lena in 24.
Highest recorded here: Emily #47 in 2014, Lena #20 in 1969.
The order changed in 2002: Emily moved ahead. In 2001 they stood at #149 and #105; by 2002 that had become #142 and #147.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #71, Lena #294.
England and Wales · Girls30 shared years, 1996–2025
Emily held the stronger position in 30 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2003, Lena #128 in 2013.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Emily #44, Lena #288.
Northern Ireland · Girls20 shared years, 2001–2024
Emily held the stronger position in 20 of those years, Lena in 0.
Highest recorded here: Emily #1 in 2013, Lena #131 in 2012.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Emily #5, Lena #288.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Emily | Lena |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Rival, striving, eager (traditional interpretation of the Latin root). | A short form of names ending in '-lena', such as Helena, Magdalena or Yelena — widely used independently. |
| Origin | Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia | Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɛməli/ | /ˈleː.na/ |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Em, Emmy, Emilie, Amelia, Aemilia | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #6 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #266 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Emily is recorded with a Latin, from the Roman family name Aemilia origin, while Lena is recorded with a Used across Swedish, Norwegian, Danish and German traditions origin.
- Emily has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Lena.
- Emily's recorded meaning differs from Lena's — see the table above for each.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Emily a "high" Data Confidence level and Lena a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Emily
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #180 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1996–2025
Highest recorded position: #1 among girls in England and Wales, in 2003 (recorded 1996–2025).
England and Wales · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #44 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls
Lena
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #346 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #20 among girls in Norway, in 1969 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #288 among girls in England and Wales, in 2025.
England and Wales · Girls